'Don't judge a book by its cover': Arriva bus driver Neil Collins from Milton Regis shunned by strangers over facial tattoos

A bus driver has told how people cross the road to avoid him - because of his facial tattoos.

Neil Collins, who drives Arriva buses in Swale and Maidstone from the Sheerness depot, thinks people wrongly assume he is a thug because of his appearance.

But the 38-year-old, who believes his problem is made worse because he owns a Staffordshire bull terrier, claims he is "one of the nicest blokes you'll ever meet"... and is planning to have more tattoos.

Bus driver Neil Collins shows off his tattoos

Mr Collins, from Milton Regis, had a tribal design etched around his right eye three years ago.

Then last year he had the pattern enlarged and joined to one on the side of his head, making it even bigger.

"I was always the one being bullied at school. I just wanted to feel that people were not going to mess with me. It has given me more confidence..." - bus driver Neil Collins

He said: "People do stare, and if there's a group they will comment between themselves.

"Customers, the ones that get to know me, they speak to me but there are some that won't.

"I do talk to people about it if they ask. They usually want to know if it hurt. It didn't, actually.

"I've got a Staffordshire bull terrier and, when I'm walking him, looking like I do, I've had people cross the road to avoid me.

"I'm sure a lot of people think I'm vicious or maybe a thug, but they don't know me. I'm probably one of the nicest blokes you'll ever meet.

"If they want to be that shallow that they can't see through the tattoos, that's their problem. I don't bite.

"I'm an easy-going bloke. Don't judge a book by its cover."

Stars are among the tattoos on Neil Collins's neck

His arms show the variety of Neil Collins's tattoos

Arriva driver Neil Collins even has a tattoo of a bus

His first piece of body art was a scorpion on his left arm just above his watch line at the age of 25.

He now has 23 inkings on his arms, neck and the back of his head - and he is planning to have more work done in the near future.

But what was it that made the former Westlands School pupil decide to have one done on his face?

Would someone's facial tattoos put you off?

Yes

No

Depends

He said: "I was talking to someone about having it done and they asked why I didn't get one like Mike Tyson.

"It was a bit of a dare. But I thought 'why not?' The week after I went to Skin Illustrations in East Street, Sittingbourne, and had it done."

Skin Illustrations in Sittingbourne

He added: "I was always the one being bullied at school. I just wanted to feel that people were not going to mess with me. It has given me more confidence.

"I've had drunk people say to me: 'I suppose you think it makes you hard.' I've never had a fight in my life, and if I did I'd probably lose."

Mr Collins, of Hall Close, did not tell his employer he was having it done, though.

He said: "I did have a tattoo done at the same time, which probably got me off the hook. It's of a bus on my left forearm in Arriva's colours."